Prehistory: Reborn
by salman.naveed
Summary: While at Cretaceous Kingdom, the Hardys and their friends uncover a very sinister and dangerous plot driven by greed and technological terror which leads them into situations that are likely to roar out of their control.
1. Stolen Embryos

**Finally, my first story! I'll be trying my best to keep the plot simple but full of adventure, mystery and suspense. Do let me know your ideas, compliments and criticism. I assure you that they will be appreciated. I am quite sure that the summary will satisfy you, despite the fact that I'm not very good at summaries. I beg you to remember that this is my first story, so please be generous and lenient with your reviews. So... I guess that pretty much sums it all. On with the story! **

**Happy reading! And please...please...please... READ and REVIEW!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Hardy Boys (although I wish I did!) Also, my updating may be sporadic at times due to a busy schedule, so please bear with me.**

**CHAPTER I**

_**Stolen Embryos**_

"HEY JOE," Frank said, "Do you remember the book that we had about the evolution of dinosaurs?"

"Sure! What about it?" Joe asked

"I want it, but I can't find it. I am sure I put it on this shelf," Frank replied

Frank and Joe Hardy, teenage sons of the famous detective Fenton Hardy, were sitting in their library. Frank, dark-haired and dark-eyed, was a senior at Bayport High; Joe, blond, a year younger.

"I am not sure, but I think that you lent it to Phil," Joe recalled, referring to one of their best friends.

"Oh yes, I remember." Frank decided, "Well, we'll pick up the book later."

"Frank…, Joe…," a voice called.

The boys turned to see the tall, thin figure of their Aunt Gertrude. Gertrude Hardy had come to live in the boys' house years ago. Frank and Joe loved their aunt dearly and she also loved them, but she liked to hide her feelings behind a stern and disciplinary manner. The boys knew that beneath this, she had a kind, soft heart and that the safety of their father and themselves was her chief concern.

"What's the matter, Aunty?" Joe asked

"Your father wants to see you in his study, right away," the woman replied.

The boys quickly put the books back and padded up the stairs to their father's study.

"What's up, Dad?" Frank asked his father.

Mr. Hardy, a tall, handsome man in his early forties, greeted his sons with a mysterious grin and an excited twinkle in his eyes.

"Tell us, Dad," Joe pleaded excitedly as the boys sank into comfortable leather swivel chairs.

"Dinosaurs," Mr. Hardy answered mysteriously.

"We give up at the first try, Dad!" Frank said.

"Please," Joe pleaded, "Tell us what it's all about!"

"Okay, Okay," Mr. Hardy chuckled, "Do you boys know about ArgusCorp and Cretaceous Kingdom?"

"You bet we do!," Frank replied with excitement, "it's a genetic engineering company and has devised a way of making cloned dinosaurs, they have made Cretaceous Kingdom as an adventure theme park, containing the animals."

"Right," Mr. Hardy continued, "ArgusCorp has built the park on Novoa Island, which is about a hundred miles off the coast Costa Rica."

"So what's the mystery?" Joe asked, hardly able to control his excitement and impatience.

"The CEO of ArgusCorp called me today and asked for an appointment," Mr. Hardy began, "I told him to come and meet me at 2 O'clock. He said that he wanted to discuss a confidential matter with me, and could not afford any publicity. The fact that it's related to dinosaurs, is all that I know.

"How can we help?" Frank asked

"By taking over the entire assignment," Mr. Hardy answered with a smile

"Wow!" Joe exclaimed excitedly

"So when's the CEO coming?" Frank asked

"He promised to come at 2 PM sharp," Mr. Hardy replied, "but it's late; anyway, I have to leave for New York City right away"

"Why, Dad?" Frank asked curiously

"I have been given a special assignment by the United States Government," Mr. Hardy confided. "I'll tell you about it when I get back."

Mr. Hardy left for New York City half an hour later after receiving messages of good luck, safety and many warnings from the boys and Miss Hardy. Aunt Gertrude settled for a nap in her room after lunch and the boys' mother headed for the supermarket, while Frank and Joe went to their recreation room in the basement to pass the time by watching TV.

By 4 O'clock, the CEO of ArgusCorp had still not arrived and the boys were disappointed; but just then the doorbell rang.

Frank answered it and saw an old man in an expensive suit standing there. He wore round spectacles and had a white beard.

"Hello, boys!" he called out heartily, "forgive me for my late arrival, but I had gone to New York and the traffic was heavy."

As Frank and Joe stood watching him with a confused expression, he laughed and said, "I am the CEO of ArgusCorp: Bruce Campbell and I'm delighted to meet you finally in person Frank and Joe!"

"Oh, how do you do, sir?" Frank asked politely. "Please come in."

Campbell walked with a slight limp, supporting himself with an ornately carved wooden walking stick. "I see you boys didn't expect an old man like me to be the CEO of Argus, did you?" Campbell said with a laugh.

"To speak the truth, we didn't, sir," Joe answered with a grin

"Dad was sorry that he couldn't meet you," Frank continued, "but he had to go to New York City on a case."

"Oh, that's all right," Campbell said cheerfully, "I am quite sure that you boys can get to the bottom of the mystery that I am going to tell you."

Frank and Joe smiled. They felt a strange type of excitement whenever a new case was assigned to them.

Joe said, "You'll have to tell it in detail, sir as we don't know anything about it. You didn't tell anything specific to Dad."

"Yes, I didn't," Campbell replied seriously. "Or rather, I couldn't."

"Why is that, sir?" Frank asked, alarmed.

"Oh, please, call me Bruce," Campbell said, and continued. "Well, I had a feeling that I was being watched or eavesdropped, so I didn't tell anything specific to your Dad. I also suspect that my phone has been tapped."

"Did you try to find out?" Frank inquired.

"I thought about that," Bruce replied. "But I decided to stay quiet. Also, I don't trust anyone anymore after the accidents in the park."

"What accidents?" Frank was fully alarmed.

"Well, first a cargo net failed, and then a Velociraptor escaped while we were bringing it to the park. Five workers were injured; two of them, "severely". My investors have threatened to shut down the operation!"

"That would be very bad for you, Mr. Campbell," Joe said.

"Bad?" Bruce replied excitedly, "it would take Argus out of business completely!"

"Whoa!" Frank said, "Then something has to be done. Any other mysterious happening Bruce?"

"As a matter of fact, yes" Bruce replied, "We have fifteen species of dinosaurs on the island you know, and their embryos are kept in the cold storage room of our research lab in the park. Embryos of each of the fifteen species were stolen during a recent power cut, which turned off the electricity supply of the control room and lab. With these embryos, it wouldn't be very hard for a genetic engineering company to clone dinosaurs."

"Oh, no!" Joe said worriedly

"If these embryos get into wrong hands, there is no telling what will happen. The next thing I want is dinosaurs growing up in peoples' backyards!" Bruce said with a dry chuckle.

The boys were thoroughly alarmed and concerned, but not for long. Ever since their first case: _The Tower Treasure_, had tested their abilities, the boys had trained themselves to stay calm and alert. Control of emotions was the first thing their father had taught them.

"Do you know what caused the power cut?" Frank asked Bruce.

"Yes, it was caused by a heavy storm which hit the area and caused a main power line to short-circuit. This tripped the circuit breakers and turned off the power of our visitors' center, restaurant, living quarters and labs."

Bruce went on to explain that there were about two hundred animals on the island. The animals each had their specific territory in which they were contained by using huge electrified fences. The fences carried a voltage of ten thousand volts, and so, it was nearly impossible for an animal to escape. He said that the fences and most of the facilities of the park were controlled by a complicated and large computer system. The automation allowed the controllers to feed the animals, monitor their movements and track their specific locations on the island.

"Did the electric fences shut down too?" Joe inquired worriedly.

"No, they didn't, as they have an entirely different Grid system and backup generators." Bruce replied.

"The security systems would have been deactivated too." Frank pointed out

"No, they are also controlled separately and we were alert during the power cut – monitoring all the areas which require tight security," Bruce replied.

"From what you tell us, I can say that you have a foolproof security system," Frank said, "it would be almost impossible for anyone to steal the embryo specimens, unless….," his voice trailed off.

Bruce looked puzzled and to seek further clarification, Joe asked:

"Who controls the computer system?"

"The Systems Director," Bruce replied. "The other operators and programmers log in after he has entered the password, security key and access number."

"Can you explain the jobs of each of the member of the control team?" Frank requested Bruce

"Sure Frank." Bruce started to explain. He explained that all the programmers and software experts are headed by the Systems Director – the designer of the system and having authority to change the system settings, turn off the security systems, access the main computer program and even change the way the system is programmed. Another major role is of the Operations Director, who heads the operation controllers. The security team is headed by the Security Director and keeps all the areas of the park under constant surveillance.

"So no one except the Systems Director can get "into" the system," Frank concluded

"Absolutely no one," Bruce assured. "But what did you mean by 'unless', Frank?"

"Well, you see, in an area of such high security, there isn't any chance of an outside person getting in," Frank explained. "Chances are that someone from your staff is involved in the theft and accidents."

Bruce nodded. "I can't see any reason to doubt your theory, Frank. In fact we ourselves are pretty confused as to how someone managed to steal the embryos from under our noses!"

"Do you suspect anyone from the computer automation team?" Joe inquired

"I thought about that, and could not think of anybody who would give me a reason to suspect him," Bruce replied

"So this means that we only have some suspects; the biggest one is the Systems Director himself."

Bruce nodded.

"Is there anyone else who has some degree of access to the program, enough to change settings?" Frank asked.

Bruce shook his head. "No one except the Systems Director. On top of that, even he needs authorization from the Board of Directors of the company. The computer system is fully secure and fool-proof and to give you an idea, I'll say that it can compete with the systems which NASA has, in security, power and efficiency."

"Pretty impressive," Joe remarked.

"Did the system lock out during the power cut which you told us about?" Frank asked.

Bruce nodded. "No, it didn't. It gave us a warning that the power has been lost; then two minutes later when the backup generators kicked in, the system gave us an 'all-clear' indication. The security guards had been alerted to keep their eyes open and we were monitoring the areas very closely. No guard reported any suspicious activity and neither did we see any mysterious happening on the CCTV cameras."

"Hmmm," Frank mused. "It's very puzzling, but as always there will be some clue as to how this happened."

"What do you want us to do now, Bruce?" Joe asked with anticipation.

"Find the culprit for me young man!" Bruce exclaimed, "I want you to come to the Island next week and stay there until you solve the mystery."

"Well thank you, sir!" Frank said, "We accept your invitation with pleasure!"

"One more thing, boys!" Bruce said as he stood up to leave, "There's no rush; think over this, consult your father and let me know."

"Yes we will, sir!" Joe said quickly

"Good!" Bruce said as Frank and Joe escorted him to the door, "I'll keep a surprise ready for you!" He grinned and handed Joe his business card.

A black limousine was waiting for him at the curb. A uniformed chauffeur got out and opened the rear door for him. As Bruce climbed into the car, he turned back and gave the boys a broad smile. A moment later, the limousine sped away.


	2. An (Artificial) Threat

**A standing ovation for **** .1****, max2013 and two guests who took the time to review. I really love you guys. I just want to request the Guests to please write their names so that I may thank them by name.**

**Now here is the second chapter. Please. . . . . please . . . . please READ and REVIEW! I swear that getting good reviews pays off all the efforts that an author puts into his writing.**

**Happy Reading! (and 'Lenient' Reviewing! – although I won't mind criticism as well.) =D**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT own the Hardy Boys. If I did, I would be driving a Rolls-Royce, flying in a Gulfstream and sitting in a mansion, counting my millions. (What a great daydream...!)**

**CHAPTER II**

_**An (Artificial) Threat **_

"SO WHAT do you think of him, Joe?" Frank asked his brother as they came back in the living room.

"He's an eccentric, but very shrewd, I'd say!" Joe chuckled.

A glance at the clock told them that nearly two hours had gone by since Mrs. Hardy had gone for shopping. Frank and Joe sat down at the kitchen table and discussed the case until they heard a car climbing up the driveway, half an hour later. They went out and saw Mrs. Hardy taking bags of grocery from the family station wagon.

"Hi Mom!" Joe greeted her.

Laura Hardy, a pretty, attractive woman, gave her sons a quick kiss, and helped them carry the bags of grocery inside.

"What took you so long, Mom?" Frank asked, putting the bags of grocery on the kitchen table.

Mrs. Hardy explained that she had met an old friend in the supermarket and her friend had insisted that she accompany her for lunch. The boys told their mother about Campbell's visit and his offer to them for coming to the park and investigating the thefts of the embryos.

"Please be careful boys," she pleaded. Although she became worried whenever her sons or husband accepted a new case, she tried to hide her worry and concern. She had also trained herself to stay calm when Mr. Hardy had retired from the New York City Police Department and moved to the small, sea-side town of Bayport to start a private detective agency. When Frank and Joe had followed in their father's footsteps, she had become more concerned for their safety but she had confidence in their resources, abilities and presence of mind.

The boys were enjoying cookies and milk in the kitchen when they were startled by a sound like a gunshot, but they relaxed as the sound was followed by a series of backfires.

"That's Chet Morton in his jalopy!" Frank grinned.

Frank and Joe were referring to their best friend who lived on a large farm on the outskirts of Bayport, with his parents and sister. Rotund, chubby and moonfaced, Chet was easy-going and fond of eating.

Joe looked out the window and laughed.

"He's got the whole gang with him!"

The doorbell rang and Chet Morton came in, followed by Biff Hooper, Tony Prito and Phil Cohen. Biff Hooper was a six-foot, broad-shouldered athlete whose hobby was amateur boxing. Tony Prito was an olive-complexioned, handsome and good-natured boy. Phil Cohen was a slight, good-natured youth and an A-student at Bayport High.

"Hiya, guys," Biff said lazily. "I think the ride in Chet's jalopy dislocated my shoulder!" he groaned.

Chet grinned good-naturedly. "Why do you guys want to ride with me in the first place?"

"We never learn!" Phil quipped.

The Hardys laughed, and then invited the boys in the kitchen. Aunt Gertrude was there now and was removing a cake from the oven. Chet, upon seeing the cake, rolled his eyes and smacked his lips.

"Mmph!" Aunt Gertrude exclaimed, "Chet Morton, this cake is for tonight's dessert!"

Then, seeing the look on the stout boy's face, she said, "Oh, well, you can have those brownies that I baked today."

The Hardys and their friends doubled over with laughter at the happy and satisfied look which crossed Chet's face.

While munching on the brownies, Frank and Joe told their friends about Campbell's visit and his offer to them for coming to Cretaceous Kingdom.

"Hmph!" Gertrude Hardy sniffed, for she had learnt about Campbell's visit from Mrs. Hardy. "When will you boys learn? No good will come of this!" she exclaimed, "I don't want you going to that park! It is dangerous enough with the wild animals there, and when there are criminals on the loose, it becomes even dangerous!"

"Oh come on, Aunty!" Frank said with a grin.

"Aren't you guys afraid?" Chet asked with his mouth full. "That park can be dangerous for good ole Chet Morton!"

"I don't think the dinosaurs would harm you Chet, they'd be afraid of you!" Tony needled.

"You can kid me all you want, but I'm not going!" Chet retorted.

"So what do you think guys?" Joe asked.

"I'm game!" Biff said.

"Me too!" Tony replied.

"Count me in as well!" Phil put in.

The boys turned to Chet expectantly.

"Well, I guess, I'll…," Chet stammered, then continued, "It'll be lonely here without you all, so…, well, I'll join you!"

"That's the spirit!" the boys chorused

The Hardys' pals promised that they will let them know if their parents approved of their trip or not. Later that evening, all four boys called to tell that their parents had allowed them to go.

"Say, Frank," Joe said during dinner, "So much has happened here since Dad left. What do you say we tell him about it and ask his opinion?"

"Sure thing," Frank replied, "We'll warm up the set tonight."

Frank was referring to the radio communications equipment the boys had installed in their laboratory over their garage. Their equipment included a powerful VHF/UHF radio transmitter and receiver, with a range of 2000 miles and linked to the radio sets in all their cars, their sleek and powerful motorboat, the _Sleuth_ and also to the hand-held radio sets owned by their father and his operative, Sam Radley.

After dinner, the boys went up to their lab which also had a powerful computer with an Internet connection and database records of all the criminals which the Hardys had captured. Advanced scientific equipment and chemicals were also there, as was the alarm system and a screen connected to the CCTV cameras installed in the Hardys' grounds. After they had warmed up the set, Frank beamed out the Hardys' special code-call. They got a response almost immediately.

"FH here," Fenton Hardy's voice crackled from the boys' headsets.

"Elm Street here," Frank spoke into his mike.

"How's everything, Dad?" Joe asked.

"Everything's fine here, son," Mr. Hardy replied. "I am returning tomorrow, I'll let you know the details then."

"Okay Dad!" Frank and Joe chorused.

"What time will you arrive, Dad?" Frank asked.

Mr. Hardy told his sons that he would arrive at the Bayport Airport at 12 PM. "Be sure to pick me up!" he chuckled.

"We will Dad, don't worry!"

"Is everything all right at home, son?" Fenton Hardy asked

"Yes Dad, everything's fine here until now. We'll tell you about Campbell's visit tomorrow!"

"Well, I guess I can wait until then, although I'm not sure that I can!" Mr. Hardy laughed.

"We can't wait, too!" Frank and Joe grinned.

The boys said good night and signed off. After turning off the radio set, Joe buzzed the main house on the intercom and told his mother about their father's message after which the boys sat down to discuss the mystery. Later, Frank turned on the computer and read the extensive and detailed research report on dinosaurs which had been prepared by the Department of Paleontology of the Bayport University and the American Museum of Natural History. He found out that most of the fossils of dinosaurs have been found in barren and desert areas, blanketed by layers of sand and rock for more than 65 million years. The Cretaceous Kingdom case had sparked his interest in the subject and he wanted to get as much knowledge about the topic as he could. Joe, never the one to read, had taken the boys' digital camera and was going through the photos that he had taken at a recent beach party.

BOOM! The sound of an explosion made the boys jump.

"Did you hear that?" Frank exclaimed. "Come on!"

The boys ran to the house. The TV was turned on in the living room, but there was no sign of the two women. Both boys could smell an acrid odor coming from the kitchen. They hurried in the kitchen and a charred, blackened mass lying on the floor amid shards of broken glass. Aunt Gertrude was standing in one corner, with Mrs. Hardy next to her, fear evident on their faces.

Aunt Gertrude snorted. "That . . . that thing could have killed me!"

Joe shook his head after he and Frank had examined the charred remains on the floor. "Nothing to worry about, Aunty. It was a fake bomb. All noise and no damage."

The boys then went outside and searched the grounds for fifteen minutes but found no clue about the person who had thrown the bomb.

"He probably hid in the bushes and jumped over the fence and ran away after throwing that bomb," Frank suggested

Joe nodded. "We'd better turn on the alarm system for the night."

Discouraged, the boys went back into the kitchen; Aunt Gertrude and Mrs. Hardy had left. The boys examined the remains of the fake bomb and were surprised to find a folded piece of paper among them. The young Hardys were highly angered when they read the notation on the paper.


	3. The Limping Bird

**I am truly very sorry that I did not update this story over the course of my summer vacations, but life got in the way and time was not available! I apologize to all of my readers. To those of you who reviewed the previous chapter, I thank you very much. As far as this chapter is concerned, I beg you to READ and REVIEW. If there is something which you do not like, then please say so! Tell me where you want this story to go; it will help a lot! **

**Happy Reading!**

**DISCLAIMER: Had I owned the Hardy Boys, I would not have been publishing them here for free, instead, I would have been sitting beside a swimming pool – drinking a cocktail and counting my money.**

**CHAPTER III**

_**The Limping Bird**_

IF YOU DON'T KEEP YOUR NOSY NOSES OUT OF OTHER PEOPLES' BUSINESSES, YOU'LL GET A 'BLAST FACIAL' THE NEXT TIME!

"NOW how do you like that?" Frank exclaimed angrily.

"He sure has a wry sense of humor!" Joe deduced.

"Right," Frank agreed, "and he is quite desperate, too!"

The boys went back to the living room; Aunt Gertrude had regained her composure and told the boys that she had been sitting at the kitchen table, in thought, when the bomb had been hurled in from the window. It had missed her head by inches before hitting the floor and exploding with a loud noise. The boys were enraged at the warning and at the stunt which had terrified their dear aunt.

"I told you boys!" Aunt Gertrude exclaimed, "No good ever comes of solving mysteries. You have not even started yet and your enemies are already hurling fake bombs at us! I hate to think what would have happened if the bomb had been real!"

"Calm down Aunty!" Joe requested, "Nobody can get past you without having his brains knocked out!" He laughed.

Miss Hardy walked towards Joe, put her face within a few inches of her nephew's and said, "You keep your jokes to yourself, young man! Or I'll be happy to knock _your _brains out!"

Now it was Frank's turn to laugh. "You'd be wasting your time, Aunty. He's got no brains, at least not any that we have to worry about!"

Gertrude Hardy did not reply. She turned on her heel and went upstairs. As soon as she left, Laura Hardy burst out laughing.

"Joe, I am quite sure that Gertrude will do as she says!" she said as Joe blushed with embarrassment.

"As I said, she'll be wasting her effort! And for the record, I'm gonna call you Einstein, Joe." Frank was still grinning as he messed up Joe's wavy blond hair.

"I love this nickname!" Mrs. Hardy kissed her sons goodnight and went up to her room.

Joe was quick to change the topic. "What do you say we see the CCTV recording? Maybe the cameras captured the intruder on film."

"Sure, Einstein." Frank replied. "Let's go and check."

Joe gave him a look that would have wilted a plant.

The boys went to their lab and turned on the display monitor, and then Frank rewound the DVR system to the past half hour. After about fifteen minutes, the screen went blank.

"Well I'll be a monkey's uncle!" Joe exploded. "That creep cut the camera cable so that we would not be able to see him!"

"It looks as if he was not working alone," Frank mused. "Also, that bomb that he threw was part of a planned harassing plan. He must have known beforehand that we have CCTV cameras installed around the house and so he crept up behind the camera's field of view and cut the cable"

"I'll go and fix the camera," Frank said, snatching a small toolkit and a walkie-talkie from a drawer. "You stay here and tell me on the walkie-talkie when the video is restored on the monitor."

"Okay," Joe replied.

Frank hurried out to the back grounds and to the kitchen door, where the camera was installed. He climbed on to a small stepladder that he had taken from the garage and saw the wire. It had been cut in a hurry. Frank could see the thin cores and fibers of unevenly cut wire. He quickly stripped the covering off the wires and added a small terminal block. After pushing the wires in it and tightening the screws, he taped it and the wires and said into the walkie-talkie. "I've joined the wires. Check the display."

"The video has been restored. Picture quality's fine." Joe reported.

Frank put the ladder in the garage and joined his brother in the lab.

"What do you say we check that note for fingerprints?" Joe asked.

"Good idea, Einstein!" Frank nodded. "And by the way, I'm impressed! You've given some pretty good suggestions tonight!"

"I try!" Joe winked and flexed his biceps.

Coming back to work, Joe brought the note while Frank set up the required apparatus. When Joe returned, Frank took the note from him and dusted it lightly with graphite powder. A few moments later a set of fine prints appeared on the paper. Frank lifted them with a special process. When he matched these prints, they turned out to be the prints of Frank and Joe, there was no trace of fingerprints which would belong to any other person.

"We're dealing with a professional criminal. He probably wore gloves or wiped the paper clean before tying it to the brick." Frank observed grimly.

Momentarily discouraged, the boys turned on the alarm system, turned off the video screen, locked the lab and went to the main house. There they said goodnight to their mother, and turned in for the night. Both slept soundly and were awakened in the morning by a series of thumps and clicks from the kitchen. They dressed and went downstairs. Aunt Gertrude had assembled the vacuum cleaner and was getting ready to clean all the rooms with her usual vigor.

"Frank, Joe, try to stay away from the rooms today. I don't want you going in and taking your shoes with you!" she commanded sternly.

"Yes, ma'am," Frank obliged, "In fact we are going out to Chet's."

"Good," Miss. Hardy concluded.

Forty minutes later, the yellow-colored, highly polished Hardy sports sedan turned into the driveway of the rambling Morton farmhouse on the outskirts of Bayport. Two pretty girls were sitting on the front porch steps, drinking from cans of soda. They jumped when they saw Frank and Joe. Blond, vivacious Callie Shaw was Frank's girlfriend, while Joe was in love with Vanessa Bender, a tall, slender girl with long ash-blonde hair and gray-blue eyes.

"Hi!" Callie exclaimed as the girls ran to greet the Hardys. "Imagine meeting you two here!"

"What brings the famous and genius super sleuths here?" Vanessa asked with a twinkle in her eyes as she slipped her arm through Joe's.

"Thanks for the compliment ma'am," Joe replied with mock seriousness.

"We decided it would be good to meet you before we start working," Frank answered with a grin.

"Again….," Joe added wryly.

"We know..," Callie said with a sigh.

"Who told you?" Joe asked with surprise.

"Who else would you expect?" a familiar voice boomed behind them.

The boys turned to see the big, burly form of Chet Morton.

"I should've known!" Joe grinned.

"Hi, guys," Chet said, "when do we leave?"

"No information," Joe told his chubby friend. "But we'll let you know soon, so don't worry, buddy!"

"I'm concerned about our food supply problem in the park," Chet confided.

"Don't worry, Chet," Joe reassured, "Campbell has a whole restaurant there."

"Besides," Frank said with a grin, "We aren't going on a pleasure trip; we have to solve a mystery there."

"Don't remind me of that!" Chet groaned.

The teenagers enjoyed the two hours they spent laughing and joking in the Morton's garden. As drank the last of the lemonade which Callie and Vanessa had served earlier, Mrs. Morton came out to the porch and called out:

"Frank! Joe! Your mother just called; she said that you are to meet your father at the airport in half an hour."

"Oh boy!" Frank exclaimed, "We totally forgot that Dad was coming back today! Thank you Mrs. Morton, we'll leave at once."

She smiled. "You're welcome, dear."

As the boys got up to leave, Mr. Morton came in. He was a tall, ruddy-faced man and had his son's complexion and build.

"Hello, boys!" he said, "Leaving so soon? Why?"

Frank told him as he accompanied them to the driveway.

"Goodbye, boys," he called out as the Hardys' sports sedan pulled away. "Say hello to your father for me!"

The Hardys waved goodbye and headed for Bayport Airport, to the north of town. After leaving their car in the parking lot, ten minutes later, they headed for the tarmac, since twenty minutes were left before Mr. Hardy's scheduled arrival. They saw many aircraft being serviced or repaired as they headed for Hangar B, in which Mr. Hardy kept his private plane, the _Globe Trotter_.

"Hey Frank!" Joe called his brother. "Take a look at this!"

"What?"

"The door to Jack's office is open!"

"Now that's funny," Frank mused. "I thought he kept it locked when he was away."

"He always does, and …..." Joe was interrupted by the loud wail of a siren. He gripped Frank's arm and said, "Come on! I think something's happened!"

The boys ran outside to find the airport buzzing in a dither of activity. Rescue vehicles roared by and came to a stop by the runway apron. Maintenance crews were also waiting. The boys found the airport emergency services manager who was standing amidst the throng, directing the rescue and maintenance crews.

"What seems to be the problem here?" Frank asked him.

He turned to face them. "You're the Hardy brothers aren't you?"

Joe was getting impatient. "Yes we are. So what?"

The manager looked uneasy. "Jack Wayne declared an emergency. The left landing gear of your father's plane has been damaged and won't open!"


	4. The End Will Be Near

**Hello there people! It's been a year, no less! How time flies – during this past year I've experiences a lot, life has gotten in the way a lot of times and this story has just sat there on my computer, screaming at me to pay attention to it, while I frantically punched the mute button.**

**So, here is the fourth chapter of Prehistory: Reborn. We're nearing the point where the story starts to **_**actually **_**take shape. I'm trying to make this as thrilling and technically/factually accurate as I can, requiring a lot of research to get some highly technical parts of the story right. However, if you happen to come across any discrepancy, be good and point it out. **

**I love you guys!**

**Happy Reading!**

**DISCLAIMER: As I've said time and again, I DO NOT own the Hardy Boys or their friends. They're the property of their respective parents. Also, I have no association whatsoever with Apple Inc. or it's iPhones. I haven't even used any of its products (never liked them). **

**CHAPTER IV**

"_**The End Will Be Near."**_

"WHAT do you mean it won't open?" Joe exploded.

Frank tried to calm him down. He addressed the manager:

"So what's the course of action now?"

The man shrugged. "He asked us to spread foam on the runway, just in case he has to make a gear-up landing."

The boys looked on as the emergency crew spread foam on the runway. Soon, Jack Wayne, who had been circling overhead was cleared to land. As the _Globe Trotter _descended, the boys saw that the left landing gear was still inside the wheel housing. To ensure that the aircraft did not tilt and touch the runway, Jack Wayne had rolled it slightly to the right. This position would put the weight of the aircraft on the right landing gear and the Hardy brothers knew that there was a great risk of it collapsing, sending the craft skidding on the runway and possibly being fatal for the occupants. There was complete silence all around as the _Globe Trotter_ descended gracefully, the spoilers extended and the airspeed reduced to a point just above the minimum. An instant later, the aircraft's right landing gear touched the ground. There was an explosion as the tire burst; shards of rubber were ejected at high speed. Sparks flew as the metal rim left ruts in the hard asphalt surface. Having slowed down considerably, Jack applied the airbrakes and maintained lift on the left wing, preventing the aircraft from falling to one side. As soon as the aircraft stopped, a flat-bed truck with a hydraulic jack took its place under the left wing, stopping the aircraft from falling on its side.

The crowd cheered loudly, congratulating each other and the shaky Jack Wayne, who was followed out of the aircraft by a seemingly composed Fenton Hardy, yet the boys could easily see that he was as shaken as Jack, and there was a faint hint of alarm in his eyes. However, the young Hardys could not restrain broad smiles.

"Man! That was too close!"

Frank agreed. "I'd say! Jack's the most cool-headed pilot I've ever seen!"

The jubilant crowd soon dispersed and the Hardys and Jack walked the short distance to Hangar B. There, Jack collapsed on a chair. The boys noticed that their father's face bore a determined look. There was no hint of the alarm that had been there a few minutes earlier.

Jack exhaled. "Let's hope I don't have to do _that_ again!"

Mr. Hardy nodded. "Either way, you did a great job with the landing, Jack."

Frank and Joe nodded in assent.

As the mood returned to normal, the boys gently broke the news of the fake bomb that had terrified Aunt Gertrude last night. Mr. Hardy pursed his lips and shook his head grimly.

As Jack went off to his office and Mr. Hardy attended to an important phone call, the boys realized that they had forgotten to tell the men about the fact that Jack's office was unlocked. Frank gestured to Joe to follow him outside.

"Jack'll find out about his office soon enough." He said.

"Yeah. Besides, Dad and Jack are still quite jumpy."

Frank nodded. "Come on. Let's check up on the _Globe Trotter._"

Out on the tarmac, the airport crews were in the process of securing the _Globe Trotter_ to tow it back to the maintenance hangar. Realizing that nothing significant was happening, the Hardys returned to Hangar B.

As the boys entered the hangar, Mr. Hardy was putting away his iPhone.

Jack's tense voice broke the silence of the hangar. "You might want to see this!"

The boys and their father rushed to Jack's small office. The pilot sat at his desk in the dark, his face tense and worried in the bluish glow of his computer screen.

"What's the matter, Jack?" Mr. Hardy asked calmly.

"I'm afraid there's been a break-in. See this."

With that, the pilot turned the PC's screen to face the Hardys. The screen showed a word processor document. However, it was the written text which thoroughly alarmed the Hardys. Written in the center of the page, in bold red letters were the words:

SO DO YOU NEED A PLATOON OF SCIENTISTS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE WANT FROM YOU? YOU'RE NOT THAT STUPID, HARDY. OR ARE YOU? JUST INCASE YOU ARE, LET'S MAKE IT CLEAR TO YOU.

WE WANT YOU TO DROP WHAT YOU'RE DOING. RIGHT NOW.

SURELY YOU DON'T WANT TO WAIT UNTIL THE END TO FIND OUT WHAT WE'RE CAPABLE OF. IF YOU WANT TO, IT'S YOUR CHOICE; BUT REMEMBER THAT IN THAT CASE, THE END WILL BE NEAR.

Joe was incredulous. "Who are these people!?" he roared.

This brought Frank back to his senses and he realized that he had been gripping the edge of the desk with all his strength. His knuckles were white. Mr. Hardy looked tense and Jack looked completely drained of strength.

He was also out of breath. "I don't know what you guys are working on, but let me tell you – whoever these guys are; they play rough. And I have a bad feeling that the next time, they'll do something more than just sabotage our landing gear!"

Mr. Hardy's head snapped up. "What do you mean sabotage?"

Jack looked surprised. "You think what just happened was an accident, even after _that_?" He pointed to the computer screen.

"It _was_ an accident. Anything from lax maintenance to a spontaneous problem could have caused it!"

Jack looked as if he had been badly insulted. "Mr. Hardy, I've been flying aircraft for 20 years. I've flown Learjets and F-16s and everything in between and _I know_ that the landing gear of a brand-new super-fit aircraft does not fail itself!"

Frank realized that the situation was getting out of control. "I think we should take these problems one at a time."

Joe supported Frank's efforts to prevent a heated argument. "Right. First, how did you find this note, Jack?"

"My PC was turned on. I hadn't left it that way. And it wasn't locked. Someone bypassed the password protection."

"What!" The collective exclamation caused quite an echo in the corrugated iron building.

Mr. Hardy added grimly, "We're up against some well-equipped tech professionals."

Jack's nervousness gave way to sarcasm. "You can say that again!"

Before Mr. Hardy could reply, Frank spoke up.

"What could have caused the landing gear problem?"

"Pretty easy to sabotage. A small leak in the pressure cylinder and the system would have been drained of hydraulic fluid."

Frank interjected. "But isn't there some kind of backup for gear deployment?"

Jack nodded. "The backup failed too. Whoever sabotaged the gear wasn't taking any chances. He _knew _what he was doing!"

"My hunch is that - "

Joe's reply was cut off with the ring of Fenton Hardy's iPhone.

"Hello, this is Fenton Hardy."

Frank turned his attention to the note on the screen as his father listened to someone on his phone. He hadn't even read the entire message when he jumped in shock.

"WHO IS THIS?" Fenton Hardy shouted as the line went dead. The phone beeped again. It was a text message. Mr. Hardy opened it, his jaw tightening as he turned the iPhone to face the boys and Jack.

On the screen, the iPhone's signature IM view showed a single line of words:

"THE END WILL BE NEAR."


End file.
